Tim Diebert

Erster. Dude. Hia. Were you one of the ones blessed with an visit from the wizard of OZ? What have you got on the go these days?

;D This forum format is the best. I don't hang out here much these days....but every now and again I get an email notification that says someone has posted to a thread I was 'watching'. So I bang the link and go back in time. Over four years... Now that is fun. I have not had Annie for about three years now. I sold her to a woman from California who drove all the way up here to Kelowna BC to get her. I emailed her a few times wondering how the trip home went and and how her sailing was going. The woman's name is Rebbecca (Smith?) Although I miss Annie M., all the time and the fun we had with her....and the fact that she was named after my Grand Mother.... I am as fond of my current boat and it better suits the conditions and the water I sail these days. Hello to everyone here. Nice to see you again. Cheers.

Just a quick reply for Chad. Folks forget to consider the WE is basically an odd ball extra heavy dingy.....without the benefit of floatation (unless added by the owner). In a case such as this when over powered when sailing off the wind, personally, I would (in Annie) round up and 'face the threat' ...so to speak. It is easier to just sheet the jib in hard and play the puffs by a combination of rounding up and spilling / luffing the main....while keeping an eye on the gust directions. If it gets out of hand....heave to with lots of slack in the main. Wait it out and reef as soon as you can. The ballast on Annie helps a lot in this kind of scenario. Much more stable. Just my 2 pesos worth.

Ok.....so the cat lady hangs out here. Why didn't you tell me? I could have called you a nasty name or something.....and then been caught. Good thing I was well trained in Franks Rule. This over the top happy cat lady is the very human that was nutty enough to buy Annie M. I might as well answer a question I forgot to answer via email. Annie M. is my Grandmother Annie McNiven who died about 4 years ago. Just a coupla months before her 102nd birthday. She was my best buddy for all my life and 50 years of her life. She was a simple, brilliant and resourceful lady whom everybody loved. She raised three kids by herself (her pre-arranged husband was a drunk and she booted him out) right through the worst times on the Canadian Prairies. She was 25 years old before she used or even saw a flush toilet and indoor plumbing. I named the boat years before she died and she had a picture of it. She was tickled pink. Annie was sharp as a rigging knife up until about 2 weeks before she slipped into the new adventure. I miss her and her son. My Dad. Cheers, TT BTW, my email is down again....use the tim703@telus.net until I say otherwise. Thanks.

Sorry for the delayed reply.....I had to renew my domain and change servers....twice. I still don't have it all sorted out. Thanks for the advice folks, much appreciated.

Just what I was wondering Ray. It is only 160lbs or so.....then there is an outboard etc etc. Great advice on the manual/warranty issue. Seen any sun yet?

Hi All. Nice to see you again. :shock: I hope you have all been really nice and played together well. I sold Annie M. to a very nice lady in CA. I am quite happy about this as I need Annie to have the right home. I thought I had found the right home last summer and in theory had sold her to a chap from Vancouver.....but it did not quite work out as projected. Another story for another day. On behalf of Annies new skipper I would like to ask a question or two. She is driving from somewhere in deepest darkest CA to the wilds of southern British Columbia to pickup Annie and tow her home. She has the choice of a new-ish Honda Civic in perfect condition or an older Ford 1/2 ton. The issue is fuel costs (significant as you might expect) vs. the right thing to do. I have always towed Annie with either Sherman, my giant 1977 460 ci powered gas vaporizer or a V6 Van. Both never noticed anything behind. I read in these pages of folks using all manner of four banger import sized units to haul. Stump and his old Samari for example....I had a Sidekick for a couple of years(all jacked and tired up) and know that would have done the tow thing easy. What is the concidered opinion of using a solid Civic with good brakes, rad and power to haul a load like this a considerable distance? Also, IIRC a stock WE is around or just under 500lbs ....right? I am not sure if new owner frequents the forum or not. I will ask her some time. I am sure she will be eventually if she is not already in lurk mode. I am just in the middle of Spring mods, maint and repairs to our 83 M17. I have achieved one of my personal lifetime goals. Life is good. Annie was an amazing magic carpet to adventure. Puff is the next chapter and may be all that is required for the rest of my days. Fantastic boat. Planning at least 2 week long cruises, one on Shuswap Lake. I may do a georgia Straight crossing the the southern gulf Islands and around to Victoria this summer as well.

I agree Jake, but get him to try that when he is alone.... A heavier guy could go forward as long as there is another chap at the other end of the teeter totter. I just stopped in to ask a question.....back to the main page for me. Cheers All!

PM answered...... ...thats not the best position for any boat for me as well let me tell you. Every winter I spend more and more time checking realistate prices south.....waaaay south. I found a nice 1 acre lot with a cottage and large covered patio....all kinds of colourful flowers, shrubs and plants.....$13,000 :shock: in Costa Rico. I would go anywhere warm where I could still sail. Maybe a nice apartment in Florida with room to park the Monty..... I just have to find a way to make an income for 6 months of the year over the net..... :?

Below Freezing! Really? Poor baby. This is my world.... Your images look pretty friggin good from my location Buddy. REALLY good.....specially this time of year. The sighting was quite shocking and a little off putting.....just stumbled upon it cruising around my virtual world. Personally I am on the far end of my hair growing hobby right now. I think about a year and half between hair cuts....it is a very passive hobby.

All great designs and boats I looked at over the years. Sweetpea was my fav of the bunch, but so little is known of the sailing qualities as yet.....unless somebody who actually sails their's has spoken up recently. In the end.....I build stuff out of wood for a living....have for over 30 years now....and I tell you what.....I just could not get it up to work THAT many hours over and above my 180 a month in the same shop. I had always loved Lyles designs....one of my first loves was the Bristol Channel Cutter.....the M17 is from the same mind and loved it the first time I saw one. I never thought I would be able to afford one. Things change. I prefer a wood boat by a long shot, I actually would prefer a Gaffer by a long shot...and I really would love to build myself another boat one day, but not while i still work full time at a bench. Perhaps a retirement project. But right now, I am tolerating living with the glass boat....but sailing my butt off and not building anything....Oh, except I do have to build a new mast and fix up Annie M. for selling this Spring. I wish I could afford to use and keep both. Actually....if I was to build anything I wanted right now....I might still consider Dudleys Cape Cutter 19. Always loved that design.

Hey it's the Molusk Man, how the heck are ya? Saw you with a hair cut on a pic somewhere. What's up with that?

I know, makes me laugh all the time. Folks I work with think I am nuts. I am like you Frank...normally....laid back. But get another boat near me and the horns pop out.... :twisted:

No deal Ray. I know better. Lemme see, 600lbs ballast alone including a 200lb plate, electrics, two full tackle sets, 6 hp Yamaguchi, stereo, tool chest and beer keg VS 200lbs of nothing but sail and plywood? Planing plywood.......ya right. A 20 would be great fun around here. That is for sure. I gotta say though, our Puff is sure a grand platform when it gets nasty. Just like Annie M. we are often the last boat on the lake when the shiznit hits the fan. I am still sorting out the balance in bigger winds and seeing how far I can push. I am hoping to replace all the wire before seasons start so I can feel a bit more confident in the rig. The PO had no idea at the age so I left it last year so we could just sail. But I wanna relax with it this year. Within the first half dozen sails last year I was pretty pleased to bounce the needle off seven knots. Dead downhill and way over pressed, dry mouth territory. But I wanted to see what kind of speeds I could do. That's when you wished the Chubby, overweight little lapstrake cruiser would magically turn into a ......hhhhhmmmmm...........Mini Transat.......ya......like this......... :shock:

Hi Frank, yes......I have chased down and passed boats much bigger than the Monty. Usually not so much because of my boat but more often a case of slack sailors aboard. That is they are slack and relaxed until a chubby little sloop seems to be passing them and then you can see the change in their demeanor...funny to watch. On one of my last sails last year, just on the last leg of a three day cruise, Daphne was sleeping below (man, I love saying that), slid down to the bridge only to find that I missed the 2 o'clock lift and had to wait until 6. Time to kill....I spied a boat not too far away and sailed that direction. I don't know what it was....about 22 feet, masthead rig, low freeboard....very speedy looking. The guy knew what he was doing but was busy talking to a female. When he realized I was matching him it was fun to watch the conversation change and him get busy, trim sail and still try to look casual. after 20 minutes 2 tacks and me still on his butt, he broke off dropped sail and headed off. Could have been his time for home....? Who knows? I have a great time with this boat. A sleeper......in more ways than one. 8) Daphne never woke up.....and the boat was full of all our cruising gear...mostly empty beer bottles.